This invention relates generally to imaging systems, and more particularly, to methods and systems for processing fused images in a Positron Emission Tomography/Computed Tomography (PET/CT) scanner workflow.
Time is typically a critical aspect of a PET/CT scan. For example, any delay caused during a post-processing workflow to verify that a hybrid registration is unacceptable and requires corrective action may be found after a tracer or contrast has left the area of interest or after a landmark is released. A scanner operator (e.g., for PET, CT, PET/CT, or any other type of modality) may spend considerable time manually finding and retrieving scanned images from a database into a fusion application. For instance, the operator may initially load image frames of CT scan data followed by PET scan data into a fusion viewer, or alternatively, the operator may load images of PET scan data followed by CT scan data into the fusion viewer. The operator may lose time monitoring the data transfer to an application workstation, lose time finding and launching the correct fusion application, as well as lose time in configuring batch processing and exporting parameters to save fused images. For instance, the operator may lose time verifying that the registration of the PET scan data with the CT scan data was correctly performed, which provides the functional data on top of a patient's physical anatomy. As an operator repeatedly executes these operations, mistakes may be made that may lead to additional delays. The delays may lead to significant time spent in a registration-correction application and may even require that the exam be performed again.
What is needed are systems and methods that automate a workflow by loading a CT dataset into a fusion viewer, dynamically loading a stream of PET images as the PET images arrive, and then displaying the fused PET/CT reformatted images in real-time, while minimizing the amount of time required to obtain such information. Thus, images would not have to be stored in memory and then made available to the viewer application, resulting in less than real-time viewing.